Released 10 years ago
Orphée
Jóhann Jóhannsson · 2016
46 min · 15 tracks · classical music
Ethereal soundscapes blend orchestral textures and minimalism, creating a haunting exploration of memory and loss.
Top tracks — play these first
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Flight From the City — This opening track sets the tone for the album with its expansive soundscape and poignant piano motifs, embodying themes of longing and nostalgia.
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A Sparrow Alighted Upon Our Shoulder — With its delicate instrumentation, this piece evokes a sense of fragility and beauty, serving as a meditation on transience.
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The Radiant City — This track builds an intricate auditory tapestry that reflects both hope and despair, illustrating Jóhannsson's skill in crafting immersive environments.
Elevation
Our rating, out of 100 — and why.
AI-generated from five scored dimensions. An opinion, not a measurement.
InstrumentalOrphée showcases intricate compositions and high production quality, making it a notable entry in contemporary classical music.
What we noticed
- The album features long, ambient tracks that often build slowly, layering orchestral and electronic elements over time.
- Several pieces incorporate silence and space as integral components, creating a sense of vastness and introspection.
- The use of recurring motifs across different tracks creates thematic continuity while allowing for varied emotional expressions.
- Composition 25% of the score
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8/10
- Craft 20% of the score
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9/10
- Durability 25% of the score
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7/10
- Distinctiveness 18% of the score
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7/10
- Sequencing 12% of the score
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8/10
the writing — melody, harmony, structure, lyrics
production, performance, arrangement
whether it rewards returning to it
whether it sounds like itself
running order, pacing, length
Known within its scene. Reported but not counted — how far a record travelled describes its reception rather than the record, and a newer release has had less time to travel than an older one.
Is this for you?
Good fit if you like
- ethereal soundscapes for reflection
- wave-like pacing encourages immersion
- haunting exploration of memory
- dynamic journey with emotional peaks
Maybe skip if you
- seeking upbeat, fast tempos
- prefer straightforward song structures
Where this album fits
- Career context
- Released in 2016, Orphée marked Jóhannsson's first album following the Academy Award-nominated score for The Theory of Everything in 2015. At this point in his career, he was renowned for his ability to merge classical and electronic elements, solidifying his reputation as a leading figure in contemporary film scoring and ambient music.
- Stylistic neighbors
- Max Richter· Philip Glass· Nils Frahm
Tracklist
Best experienced from track one — press play and let it unfold.
- 1 Flight From the City 6:31
- 2 A Song for Europa 2:33
- 3 The Drowned World 2:20
- 4 A Deal With Chaos 2:05
- 5 A Pile of Dust 4:51
- 6 A Sparrow Alighted Upon Our Shoulder 2:27
- 7 Fragment I 1:24
- 8 By the Roes, and by the Hinds of the Field 2:38
- 9 The Radiant City 3:31
- 10 Fragment II 2:12
- 11 The Burning Mountain 2:45
- 12 De Luce et Umbra 2:28
- 13 Good Morning, Midnight 3:17
- 14 Good Night, Day 3:58
- 15 Orphic Hymn 3:27
Reference: Wikipedia · MusicBrainz · Wikidata
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